Just caught up with this thread, a few observations.The Cromwell Street photo is looking towards Rocky Lane and Long Acre.The little girl is on the corner of Oliver Street and Cromwell Street outside the cafe which was opposite the White Hart.The Rupert Arms was on the corner of Rupert Street and Oliver Street.I went into Fenns the butchers every saturday morning for our Sunday joint.

Can I thank you both for putting us straight, Mike I know that anything you say is well researched before you commit yourself and John I know you spent the major part of your earlier life in Cromwell St so you just have to be right.

Hi allI think this photo is worth a look at as it shows part of Aston Church road and Nechells on the horizon.(thanks to Dennis john norton and his son mark at www.photobydjnorton.com/) to the left side of the picture is the houses that was once facing on Aston church rd that has now long gone. next to them is Arley road, as for the two large gable end walls of a factory thy are still there today then we see the single railway bridge that joined the main line to Stechford also now gone, you can just see the white house cafe (I can only remember it as a used spare parts outlet of taroni's scrap yard) which was on the corner of Watson road? that goes under the track we are looking down, and to the right side of the picture is the tar works. on the horizon along the skyline starting from the left side of the photo is what I think L H Newtons and just below is Nechells park road bridge(looks like a letter box) to the right of this I think you can just see the spire of st Clements church and then next to the Church is what I think is old Nechells hall the next large building with a black chimney stack is Nechells baths and just to the left of this is the prince of wales pub on the corner of Mount street.Ho and yes grassy banks that member Steve knows about!!

I walked under that track many a time when leaving the Met by the back gate, before heading off down Arley Rd on my way home. That would be when I couldn't afford the bus fare toward the end of the week.

Pudding Thats a great photo of Aston Church Road, a bit before my time of course I was born in Aston Church Road, just up the hill from "The Prince Of Wales Pub" that stood on the corner of Mount Street/ Aston Church Road, but I have never seen a photo of it, have you, or any member of the forum got a photo you could put up please. Yes Pudding, you are right, Steve will know about grassy banks

I lived in a little back street hovel in Francis St and I fully understand why it was demolished. I have often said that I do not understand how English Heritage have tried to romanticise living in back to back house because once you take the people out of the equation there was nothing nice or good about living in filth and squalor.

That being said I cannot for the life of me understand why houses like those on Ashted Row and Great Brook St were demolished. There was nothing wrong with them structurally and they would have stood the test of time and looked as good today as they always did.

Today we have a situation in Birmingham where Birmingham City Council is crying out for larger houses for the bigger families. These would have been ideal, the only problem they would have would be getting me out of one of them. Dr Tighe's old house would have done me just fine.